Unable to install windows on notebook.

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  1. Posts : 13
    Windows 8 Home 64
       #1

    Unable to install windows on notebook.


    I have a new dell notebook that originally ran Windows 8 and then windows 8.1. The hard drive has been completely cleared and I am attempting to install Windows 7 but wether I use USB or DVD I still get the error "Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information."

    Anybody have any tips? I'm currently holding a $1500 paperweight.
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  2. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #2

    I assume it ran fine with Windows 8 and 8.1, recently?

    Tell us about clearing the hard drive--with what, how, how do you know it succeeded, etc?

    What model Dell notebook and what does it supposedly have for hard drives?

    How do you know your installation media is OK----will it install properly to any other PC? If yes, the notebook is the problem. If no, the media is suspect.
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  3. Posts : 13
    Windows 8 Home 64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    It ran fine with 8 and 8.1. The laptop is a Dell Inspiron 17R SE 7720. It has 2 1TB hard drives. And I formatted the hard dive through the installation media. I assume that the media works because I have to reason not to, I have no other computer to test them on.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #4

    Not sure how you are going about the install, but you don't have to format the drive as a separate procedure.

    You just boot from the install media, and eventually come to a screen where you are asked where you want to install Windows.

    At that point, you can delete all partitions or choose an existing partition to install to. In either case, formatting is done behind the scenes without any explicit command to do so.

    Does that match what you attempted to do? Did you get to a point where you were shown both of those 1 TB drives and you could pick one or the other?

    Is your installation media burned from an ISO? Purchased at retail? Purchased on Ebay? Borrowed?
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  5. Posts : 13
    Windows 8 Home 64
    Thread Starter
       #5

    I deleted all the partitions is what I meant to say sorry. And the media is burned from an ISO. And the setup only displays Drive 0 which is one of the 1 TB drives.
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  6. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #6

    icanhasskittles said:
    I deleted all the partitions is what I meant to say sorry. And the media is burned from an ISO. And the setup only displays Drive 0 which is one of the 1 TB drives.
    Well, I'm wondering why setup only shows 1 drive. But notebooks are their own world and non-standard in some respects. I have no personal experience with them.

    I'd burn another ISO regardless and I'd get it from Digital River, a known good and legit source.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 13
    Windows 8 Home 64
    Thread Starter
       #7

    It's not a net book. It's a 17 inch laptop. And why another ISO? What of that's not the problem?
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  8. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #8

    I realize it's not a netbook.

    A Digital River ISO may not solve anything. But it's a known good and authorized source for ISOs and would eliminate the possibility of the ISO being the problem. I know nothing at all about your ISO.

    You could also use Diskpart to see whatever disks you have and partition and format them by hitting Shift F10 at the first screen in the install process when you are asked to pick a language. You can clean the disks there also. May or may not help, but it's another way to go. You'd then exit Diskpart and continue the installation and then tell Windows to install to the partition you just made.

    Are both of your hard drives seen in the BIOS?
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 13
    Windows 8 Home 64
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Any tips on using disk part? What should I do to clean/partition/format the partitions. I've never used diskpart in this capacity.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #10

    Commands are below.

    There are Diskpart tutorials on this site.

    But the larger question is how come you can currently see only 1 drive??

    Do you see 2 drives in BIOS?

    Maybe you will see 2 drives in Diskpart. Hard to say.

    Boot from the Windows 7 installation disc.

    Hit Shift F10 at the first screen where you are asked to choose a language.

    A command prompt will appear. Type diskpart at that prompt.

    Type in the following commands one by one, followed by the Enter key to create a partition (text in parentheses are comments only):

    list disk (to show the ID number of the hard disk to partition, normally Disk 0)

    select disk 0 (change 0 to another number if applicable)

    clean (this wipes the drive of anything on it; not needed on a brand new drive)

    create partition primary (this will create one primary partition covering the entire drive; if you instead want to create a primary partition of 80 GB, add “size=80000” after the word “primary”)

    select partition 1 (this selects the partition you just made)

    active (this marks that partition active)

    format fs=ntfs quick (this formats that partition)

    exit (this quits the diskpart program)

    exit (this closes the command prompt window)

    Continue Windows 7 installation as usual. Remember to highlight and select the partition just created when you come to the partition screen asking you "where do you want to install Windows?”.
      My Computer


 
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